History
Some people become famous at the Olympic games because they win a medal. Others become infamous because they don’t play by the rules. Here’s a look at the BRI’s Olympic Hall of Shame. ROMAN EMPEROR NERO Year: A.D. 67 Place: Olympia What happened: Nero decided to compete in the chariot race. In the middle of […]
It’s the most famous curse in theatrical history: Shakespeare’s Macbeth is cursed. Theater people just call it “The Scottish Play” in an attempt to avoid that curse. Here are some examples of when the Macbeth curse proved horribly true—if those involved can be believed. Macbeth was first presented in London in August 1606. The actor […]
One of the perks of being president: you can commute (reduce) sentences or pardon convicted felons (meaning they have the crime expunged from their record). Here are some notable people who had their crimes absolved by the Oval Office.
This stuff used to be a part of everyday life. Now it’s gone. So where did it all go?
It’s not unusual to find odd-but-true stories in the news these days. But if the date of the article is April 1, you might want to think twice before assuming it’s true. In 1959… The Indiana Kokomo Tribune announced that due to budget cuts, the city police department would now be closing each night from […]
We’ve all checked into hotel rooms that left us cold: bad room service, grungy sinks, bedspreads that haven’t been washed—since the ’80s. But at least we made it out alive. These famous folks didn’t. Celebrity: Irish writer and poet Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Where he died: Room 16, Hôtel d’Alsace, Paris Story: At the height of […]
Cleopatra is said to have attributed her beauty to eating pickles. Here are some more fascinating facts about pickles. 1. First known pickling of a cucumber: in Meso – potamia (Iraq), 2500 B.C. 2. Cucumbers are native to India, and were spread from there across Western Asia about 5,000 years ago. 3. East Asians were […]
Of the two major party presidential candidates, one gets to be president and the runner-up…has to find something else to do.
Every football team has a storied history. So do their names. PITTSBURGH STEELERS Originally named the Pirates after Pittsburgh’s professional baseball team, in 1940 owner Al Rooney renamed the team for the city’s steel industry. HOUSTON TEXANS The Dallas Texans were one of the original AFL teams. They moved to Kansas City in 1963, so […]
(1) The U.S. Mint’s first production in 1793 consisted of 11,178 copper cents. Today the Mint produces an average of 14.7 million coins per day. (2) How many paper bills does the Mint print every year? Not a single note. (That’s the job of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.) (3) The first real woman […]
Once again the BRI asks—and answers—the question: Where does all this stuff come from? Telethons After writer Damon Runyon died of cancer in 1946, his friends in the entertainment industry established the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. The charity held its first big fund-raiser in April 1949—an unprecedented 16-hour television broadcast to solicit donations. This […]
As a kid growing up in New Jersey, Uncle John often went to Palisades Amusement Park. Then one day they announced they were tearing it down to build an apartment complex. Many areas have an attraction like that—it’s an important part of the cultural landscape for decades…and then it’s gone. ATTRACTION: The Hippodrome LOCATION: New […]
Well, as it says in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, you’re supposed to beware them. But why? What are the Ides of March?
With The People vs. O.J. Simpson currently airing, we’re reminded of how the televised criminal case against the popular football player and actor was labeled “the trial of the century.” Guess what else the media dubbed the “trial of the century”? Lots of other high profile trials. Here are a few.
The Miss America Pageant added the talent portion to the contest in 1935. Most contestants sing or dance, but some display more unusual skills. 1957: Amanda Whitman (Miss Tennessee) did a gymnastic tumbling and trampoline routine to the theme from The Third Man. 1959: Elizabeth Holmes (Miss New York) did an impression of French singer […]
In honor of Harper Lee, who passed away at the age of 89, we look in our vault for some interesting facts about her famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Throughout history, many leaders were given lofty nicknames— Catherine the Great or Richard the Lionhearted, for example. But not everyone could be Great or Magnificent. Some rulers got strange, and strangely specific, nicknames. ALFONSO THE SLOBBERER: King Alfonso IX ruled León (now part of France) from 1188 to 1230. He was prone to fits of […]
A look at life in the not-so-distant (but it sure seems like it!) past. World population: 3.9 billion (2014: about 7.2 billion) Average life expectancy in the U.S.: 71.4 (2014: 78.7) Average annual income: $12,900 (minimum wage: $1.60 per hour) Average cost of a… Television: Movies: Sports: Music: News: Science News: Deaths: Bruce Lee, Bobby […]
